Minions 2 pushed back to July 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic
Update (April 2): Minions 2: The Rise of Gru has been pushed back a year after being postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The sequel will now be released on July 2, 2021, with Sing 2 moving back from that date to December 22, 2021. Wicked was meant to be out on that December date, but now doesn't have a confirmed release date.
Original story (March 20): Minions 2: The Rise of Gru has become the latest film to have its release postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Illumination animation has had to close its studio in Paris, France because of the global health crisis, meaning it will be "unable to finish" the film in time for its scheduled release date of July 3.
Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, said in a statement: "In response to the severity of the situation in France, we are temporarily closing our Illumination Mac Guff studio in Paris.
"With this decision we are abiding by the French Government's guidelines and doing everything possible to slow the spread of the virus as we care for our artists and their families."
He continued: "This means we will be unable to finish Minions: The Rise of Gru in time for our planned global releases in late June and early July.
"While we all grapple with the enormity of this crisis, we must put the safety and protection of our employees above all. We look forward to finding a new release date for the return of Gru and the Minions."
The new Minions instalment, which recounts the childhood origin story of Steve Carell's criminal mastermind, is the latest in a long line of movies to be affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Marvel's Black Widow is one of the latest titles to have its release date pushed back, while numerous other major blockbusters have had to suspend production.
A new release date is yet to be set for Minions: The Rise of Gru.
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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